Original James Bond film may get the IMAX 3D treatment

Last year was the fiftieth anniversary of Dr. No, the first James Bond movie that launched the cinematic franchise in a big way.

2012 was really Bond’s year, not just because of the anniversary, but he also had a big return with Skyfall, which many have considered the best of the series.

Now there’s reports that Dr. No may be getting the IMAX 3D treatment, and if this is true, it should be interesting to see how it turns out. According to Collider, there will be "a Taiwanese Blu-Ray re-issue" of Dr. No that may include a 3D conversion, and there’s also a Moviefone listing for an Imax 3D release. When you go to the site, there is indeed a listing for Dr. No: Imax 3D, but it also says, "Release Date Not Set."

The headline on MI6, a Bond news site, read, "Mysterious Dr. No ‘3D’ Blu-Ray Hits the Internet in Asia." The listing apparently originated from Taiwan, and the Blu-Ray, which the site feels could be a bootleg, also has "4K ultra-high quality film, digital restoration and 3D technology."

While Collider feels Goldfinger could make a better IMAX 3D conversion, again, it would be interesting to see how the original Bond film will turn out with new technology. While Dr. No may not be as action packed or hi-tech as the new James Bonds, it was the big debut of Connery as 007 that launched the franchise, and having seen the film in recent years, it’s still pretty cool.

As the site TechnologyTell writes, "The bright photography, beach vistas" and incredible women like Ursula Andress "will fill the IMAX screen very nicely. Combine that with the ‘60s style filmmaking, with a slower pace, where shots are held for a lot longer, and that makes adding the third dimension much easier on the eyes."

As TechnologyTell also notes, "These listings usually appear 3-4 months before the Imax release," so if it is going forward, could we see Dr. No Imax 3D before the summer? It would definitely be nice to have a shot of old school Bond before the biggest genre season of the year begins at the theaters.